James Braun

James “Jim” Alfred Braun, age 80, of Green Lake, WI, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 6, 2023, at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee, WI.
Jim was born December 3, 1942, in Ripon, WI, the son of Alfred and Anne (Jaworski) Braun. He graduated from Ripon High School in 1961 and went on to attend Milwaukee Area Technical College. Jim married Claire Louise Parins at St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Church in Green Bay, WI on May 9, 1964. Together, Jim and Claire owned Braun’s Family Restaurant in Ripon from 1975 to 1996. Jim belonged to the State Board of Wisconsin Restaurant Association, was on the Ripon City Council from 1975-1981, was a member of the Ripon Noon Kiwanis, and served as president of the Ripon Chamber of Commerce for 2 years. He was also a longtime member of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church.
Ripon was home for Jim his entire life other than short stints in Caribou, Maine and Montgomery, West Virginia working in hospital food service. When the next move was to Chicago, Jim and Claire knew Ripon was a much better place to raise their young daughters. Returning to Ripon, he worked for his Dad, Alfred, in The Grill Restaurant before purchasing it from him. When it was time to grow the business, he purchased the former Ripon Commonwealth building and renamed the restaurant Braun’s Family Restaurant.
Braun’s was a staple in the community for over 20 years just as The Grill was for the prior 37 years. Family and friends gathered for community, homemade pie and memories. His daughters all learned their work ethic from him working in the restaurant either waitressing or in the kitchen. When the grandchildren began to arrive, he and Claire embarked on the next journey in their life together by retiring from the restaurant business and moving between their homes on Green Lake and in Florida.
Golf was his passion and he played as often and as many holes in a day that the sun allowed. He was proud to accomplish 3 holes-in-one! Working as a starter at Lawsonia allowed him to make new friends and gave him the opportunity to golf when he wanted. Living in Apopka, Florida allowed him to golf all year long. His girls all golfed with him, but his true joy was when he was able to share the course with his grandchildren, learning to play the game he loved.
Of everything, Green Lake was his special place and this past year he shared his love of the lake with his special lady, Kathy. Hours spent on the lake, skiing and tubing with his children and grandchildren, cocktail cruising in the boat or just admiring the lake from the deck, he was at peace. When he and Claire purchased the place in 1984, their dream was to make a place for family to gather together and their dream came true. His grandchildren grew up on the lake and it is their second home and their special place. Though they both are no longer with us, they are here.
Jim is survived by his mother, Anne Braun; four daughters, Christine (Michael) Matysik of Sheboygan, WI, Victoria (Bruce) Brunner of Kohler, WI, Alison (Tim) Zimmerman of Appleton, WI and Antoinette (Dr. Sarmad) Ashfaq of Sewickley, PA; grandchildren, Matthew (Matt Przybylski) and Tyler Matysik, Samantha (Ryan) Brunner Krist, Kendall (Harrison) Czarnecki Anderson, Maxwell, Camden, Jackson and Aubrey Czarnecki, Emaan, Noor, Hamza, and Hasan Ashfaq; great-grandchild, Owen Krist; his loving partner, Kathy Krentz; sister, Judy (Tom) Dudzinski; sisters-in-law, Andree (John) Chamberlin, Teresa (Robert) Eckberg and LuAnn (Mark) Weinheimer; and brother-in-law, Richard (Kris) Parins. He is further survived by numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and many lifelong friends. Jim was preceded in death by his father, Alfred Braun; his wife of 56 years, Claire Braun; infant daughter, Mary Catherine, granddaughter, Brianna Brunner; and father and mother-in-law, Judge Robert and Elizabeth Parins.
A visitation for Jim will be held on Friday, January 13, 2023, from 3:00 - 7:00 pm (with rosary at 7pm) at Butzin-Marchant Funeral Home, 515 Mayparty Dr., Ripon, WI 54971 and again on Saturday, January 14, 2023, from 9:00 – 10:30 am at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 228 E. Blossom St., Ripon, WI 54971.
A Memorial Mass for Jim will be held on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 11:00 am at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, with Fr. Jim Leary, OFM Cap officiating. You may view a livestream of the mass at 11:00 am here LIVESTREAM. Inurnment will take place at a later date at St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery, Town of Ripon, WI. Memorials can be made to the MACC Fund maccfund.org or Make-A-Wish Wisconsin – Wish.org/Wisconsin, two charities important to Jim.
The family would like to thank the caring staff at the Advanced Cancer Care Clinic at Froedtert Hospital who provided care and comfort to both Jim and his family during the last couple of weeks.